crawford



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

IRONING MACHINE.

Patented M21128. 1887.

INVE'NTE] 5:

N PETERS Ph mm 5 ph w 5 DC I QV/ (No Model.) J. G. CRAWFORD, E. F. POLAND & M. W. ROBINSON.

2 Sheets -Sheet 2. J. G. CRAWFORD, E. F. POLAND & M. W. ROBINSON.

(No Model.)

IRONING MACHINE.

No. 359,135. Patented Mar. 8, 1887.

MAT-M55555. (Z.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES G. GRAVVFORD AND EDVARD F. POLAND, OF BOSTON, AND MARTIN XV. ROBINSON, OF SOIWIERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS; SAID POLAND AND ROBINSON ASSIGNORS TO SAID ORAVFORD.

lRONlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,135, dated March 8, 1887.

Application filed January 11, 1886. Serial No. 188,219.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, Janus G. CRA\VFORD and EDWARD F. POLAND, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and MARTIN W. ROBINSON, of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex, all in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to ironing-machines, and particularly to that class of machines designed to be used in connection with a flat or smoothing iron of ordinary construction to assist in manipulating the latter.

It is the object of our invention to provide a machine of the class mentioned which shall be simple in construction and easily and effectively operated.

To these ends our invention consists in the machine and the construction and combination of parts therein, as hereinafter fully described, and subsequently pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side view of an ironing-machine, partly in section, embodying our invention. Fig. 2 represents a section taken on the line as w of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a detail view, hereinafter re ferred to.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents the bed of the machine, which may be secured to a table or other support in any suitable way, and to which the ironing-board may be attached in any convenient manner.

1) indicates the upright standard, to which the frame 0 is hinged or swiveled by means of pivoting-screws cl, passing through laterallyextending studs or projections e on the standardiuto like projections, f, of the frame 0, supporting the track-plate h, on which arm 2' is adapted to be moved to and fro. In order to properly guide and support said arm in its movements, we provide it at its rear end with a truck, as best seen in Fig. 2, consisting of two wheels, jj, mounted on inclined axles, as

(No model.)

shown. Said wheels have a groove formed on their peripheries of a shape corresponding with the upper edges of track-plate h, on which they ride. A little in advance of the truck just described arm 2' is provided with downwardly-projecting arms k, which may be cast 5 5 therewith or secured thereto in any suitable way, in which arms k are journaled on inclined axles two wheels, Z Z, similar in construotion to wheels j j, thepcripheries of which latter wheels are adapted to roll in contact with the under edges of track-plate h, as clearly represented in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

By the two trucks just described, arm i is properly guided and supported at its rear end in its longitudinal movement on track-plate h. To furnish the necessary support for the front end of arm t when the iron is removed, we provide it, at a point a little in advance of arms 70, with ears or projections in m, on studs in which we mount two rollers or wheels, n 01, adapted to ride on the upper surface of the track-plate 71, as clearly represented in Figs.

1 and 2.

To the front end of arni i, and secured thereto in any suitable way, is the support 0 7 5 for the presserrodp, adapted to rest upon the smoothing-iron, as shown in Fig. 1. Said support is tubular in form, and is provided on its interior, at its lower end, with a seat, (1, upon which a collar, 1', securedto the presser- 8o rod is adapted to rest. Said presser-rod passes through support 0, as shown, and is surrounded therein by a spiral spring, 8, the lower end of which rests on collar 1*, the upper end bearing against a screw-threaded plug, t, screwed into 8 5 the upper end of the support, and through which the upper end of the presser-rod passes. Plug tfurnishes a convenient device for adjusting the pressure of spring 0 on the rod in a way that will be readily understood. The lower end of rodp is spherical in form and adapted to fit into a concave socket in the top of the smoothing-iron, permitting it to be easily operated therein.

it represents a guard secured to support 0 and extending rearwardly thereof, to protect the operators hand from injury by coming into contact by mischance with the track-plate and arm in the operation of the machine. The track-plate is provided with stops 1; at its forward end and under side, which stop the forward movement of the rollers a n and prevent arm i from being moved forward off the track-plate.

Traclcplate his bifurcated or provided with a U-shaped slot at its forward end, as repre sented at w in Fig. 3, which permits the downwardly-projecting forward end of the arm to be moved farther rearwardly than would be possible were the provision therefor not made.

By the machine described it will be seen a smoothing or flat iron can be moved in any direction over and to any point on the ironingboard and the pressure of the rod on the iron readily adjusted, as may be desired.

It is obvious that the form and construction of various parts of the machine may be varied without departing from the spirit of our inrention.

What we claim is- 1. An ironing-machine consisting of a stationary standard, a swinging frame hinged or swiveled thereto, said frame being provided at its upper end with a track-plate, an arm adapted to be guided and moved upon said track-plate, and a spring-pressed rod in the forward end of said arm, adapted to rest upon the smoothing-iron, and devices for guiding and supporting said rod, as set forth.

2. The combination,with the stationary supporting-standard, of a swinging frame hinged or swiveled thereto, said frame being provided at its upper end with a track-plate, an arm provided with trucks or rollers adapted to move upon said track-plate and guide and support said arm, a tubular support secured to the forward end of said arm, a rod guided in said support, a spring surrounding and bearing upon said rod, and means for adj usting the degree of pressure of said spring upon said rod, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the standard and swinging frame, the latter being provided with a track-plate on its upper end, of the longitudinally-movable arm z, provided with trucks or rollers to support and guide it in its movements, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 7th day of January, 1886.

JAMES G. ORAXVFORD. EDXVARD F. POLAND. MARTIN \V. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, ARTHUR XV. ORossLEY. 

